Alabama vs. Tennessee - Game Notes 10/22

Alabama returns home for a Southeastern Conference Eastern Division matchup against Tennessee in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, October 22. Last time out, the Crimson Tide dominated Mississippi in Oxford, 52-7, as running back Trent Richardson rushed for a career-high 183 yards and four touchdowns in the win. The Volunteers dipped to 3-3 overall and 0-3 in league play after dropping a 38-7 decision to LSU in Knoxville. Saturday's game will air on ESPN2 with Mark Jones serving as the play-by-play announcer, and Ed Cunningham at his side as the color analyst. The two will be joined by sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards. Eli Gold and Phil Savage will handle the radio call on the Crimson Tide Sports Network, with Chris Stewart serving as sideline reporter.

HEAD COACH NICK SABAN:

Alabama head coach Nick Saban (Kent State, 1973) is in his fifth season with the Crimson Tide. Named the school's 27th head coach on Jan. 3, 2007, Saban has compiled a 45-11 record (50-11 before five vacated wins in 2007) at Alabama while leading the Tide to two SEC Western Division championships, one conference title and one national championship. Saban holds a career record of 136-53-1 (141-53-1) as a collegiate head coach, while also serving at Toledo, Michigan State and LSU. Saban won his first national championship as head coach of the LSU Tigers in 2003, guiding the Tigers to a 13-1 record that season. Overall, Saban has coached four conference championship teams (1990 Mid-American, 2001 SEC, 2003 SEC and 2009 SEC) and 11 of his 14 teams have played in postseason bowl games with the Tide appearing in a bowl game each year under Saban's direction. Saban is also the only active coach to win two BCS National Championships and the first to accomplish the feat at two different schools.

RANKINGS:

In the latest polls released on October 16, Alabama remains at No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 3 in the USA TODAY Coaches' Poll. Tennessee is not ranked in either poll.

TENNESSEE SERIES:

This will be the 94th meeting between the Crimson Tide and Volunteers. Alabama has won four straight games in the series that dates back to the 1901 season. Overall, the Tide leads the series 47-38-7 and has posted a 25-18-6 record against Tennessee at home.

NEXT GAME:

Alabama will have a week off before returning home to take on No. 1/2 LSU on November 5. The meeting between the Crimson Tide and Tigers will be the 75th in a series that dates back to the 1895 season. Alabama leads the series, 45-24-5, but the Tigers came out on top, 24-21, in last year's game at Baton Rouge.

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File). FILE - In this Monday, Sept. 12, 2016, file photo, San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid (35) and quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) kneel during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles...

With its popularity threatened and critics stretching all the way to the White House, the NFL tries to get past the debate over taking a knee during the national anthem but seems to muddle the issue even more.

With its popularity threatened and critics stretching all the way to the White House, the NFL tries to get past the debate over taking a knee during the national anthem but seems to muddle the issue even more.